The chess games of Paul Rudolf von Bilguer

Number of games in database: 32
Years covered: 1835 to 1840

Overall record: +15 -11 =3 (56.9%)*
* Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 3 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS

With the White pieces:

King's Pawn Game (9)
    C44 C40
Giuoco Piano (4)
    C53
King's Gambit Accepted (4)
    C35 C38 C33
Bishop's Opening (4)
    C24 C23

With the Black pieces:

Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   P Bilguer vs K Schorn, 1839 1-0
   P Bilguer vs von der Lasa, 1839 1-0
   P Bilguer vs von der Lasa, 1838 1-0
   P Bilguer vs H Schulze, 1840 1-0
   von der Lasa vs P Bilguer, 1839 0-1
   P Bilguer vs NN, 1840 1-0

PAUL RUDOLF VON BILGUER
(born Sep-21-1815, died Sep-16-1840, 24 years old) Germany

[what is this?]

Paul Rudolf von Bilguer was born in Ludwigslust, Germany. He was the son of the Mecklenburgian Colonel and Commander A. L. von Bilguer and Luise (née von Hahn-Charlottenthal). His father was stationed as a Captain in Ludwigslust, when Paul Rudolf was born. He had four siblings, among them two older brothers.(1)

Bilguer was educated in a Pageninstitut in Schwerin, Germany from 1829 onwards. Under the guidance of Colonel Scheffer, he excelled at mathematics and also showed talent in other disciplines. He spend his leisure time with music and chess. He had learned chess at a very early age from his father. He deepened his chess studies later in Neu-Ruppin, Germany and was inspired by Angerstein in Brandenburg and Ludwig Bledow in Berlin.(1)

Bilguer wanted to study law. A military career became preferable due to the circumstances. He joined the Prussian 24th Infantry regiment in 1833, as his family wished. At that time, the regiment was stationed in Neu-Ruppin, later in Lübben and then back again in Neu-Ruppin. In August 1834, he became a lieutenant. He hadn't developed more enthusiasm for the practical duty, though, much to the chagrin of the stiff battalion commander Chlebus. Bilguer felt drawn to a more scientific activity. In order to achieve this goal, he went to the war academy (Kriegsakademie) in Berlin in autumn 1837. He soon became more and more valetudinary and he had to return to his garrsion and leave military. This was granted on 10 April 1839.(1)

Bilguer returned to Berlin and occupied himself with literature and chess. He wrote Das Zweispringerspiel im Nachzuge, which was published in 1849. He also published articles in several journals anonymously. He didn't earn much money thereby, though. He had overestimated his physical powers, his chest troubles (Brustleiden) having weakened his constitution too much. His condition worsened and he died in Berlin shortly before his 25th birthday.(1)

Bilguer was a member of the Berlin Chess Club, one of the 'Berlin Pleiades'. He was a strong player and very good analyst and was the author of the famous Handbuch des Schachspiels. Unfortunately, his early death at the age of 24 prevented his seeing its first publication in 1843.

This first edition as well as the four that followed were edited by his friend Baron Tassilo von Heydebrand und der Lasa, who named Von Bilguer alone as author. It contained comprehensive analyses of all opening variations then known, plus a section on the history and literature of chess.

Sources

(1) Reinhold Schmidt, Zur Erinnerung an Rudolf von Bilguer, Deutsches Wochenschach, issue 37, 14 September 1890, pp. 308-309

Wikipedia article: Paul Rudolf von Bilguer

page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 32

Game	Result	Moves	Year	Event/Locale	Opening
1. P Bilguer vs Angerstein	0-1	19	1835	corr	C24 Bishop's Opening
2. von der Lasa vs P Bilguer	½-½	37	1837	Berlin	C33 King's Gambit Accepted
3. von der Lasa vs P Bilguer	1-0	13	1837	Berlin m1	D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted
4. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	0-1	26	1838	Berlin	C24 Bishop's Opening
5. P Bilguer vs A von der Goltz	1-0	30	1838	Berlin Casual Games	C44 King's Pawn Game
6. P Bilguer vs Bledow	0-1	26	1838	Berlin	C53 Giuoco Piano
7. P Bilguer vs C Mayet	1-0	21	1838	Berlin	C35 King's Gambit Accepted, Cunningham
8. Bledow vs P Bilguer	1-0	33	1838	Berlin	C23 Bishop's Opening
9. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	½-½	56	1838	Berlin	C53 Giuoco Piano
10. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	1-0	25	1838	Berlin	C44 King's Pawn Game
11. P Bilguer vs Bledow	1-0	19	1838	Berlin	C38 King's Gambit Accepted
12. Bledow vs P Bilguer	1-0	26	1838	Unknown	C51 Evans Gambit
13. Bledow vs P Bilguer	1-0	18	1838	Berlin	C52 Evans Gambit
14. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	1-0	24	1839	Berlin	C44 King's Pawn Game
15. P Bilguer vs Bledow	½-½	44	1839	Berlin	C33 King's Gambit Accepted
16. P Bilguer vs Ribbeck	1-0	26	1839	Berlin	C45 Scotch Game
17. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	0-1	23	1839	Match	C23 Bishop's Opening
18. von der Lasa vs P Bilguer	0-1	30	1839	Casual game	C30 King's Gambit Declined
19. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	0-1	47	1839	Unknown	C40 King's Knight Opening
20. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	1-0	24	1839	Berlin	C23 Bishop's Opening
21. von der Lasa vs P Bilguer	0-1	28	1839	Berlin	C33 King's Gambit Accepted
22. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	0-1	28	1839	Berlin	C53 Giuoco Piano
23. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	1-0	50	1839	Berlin	C44 King's Pawn Game
24. P Bilguer vs von der Lasa	0-1	33	1839	Berlin	C40 King's Knight Opening
25. Szen vs P Bilguer	0-1	62	1839	Szen in Berlin	C53 Giuoco Piano


page 1 of 2; games 1-25 of 32

REFINE SEARCH: White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Bilguer wins | Bilguer loses


Wikimedia Commons